The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Chan, Jessica. The School for Good Mothers. Simon and Schuster, 2022.

Frida Liu has a very bad day that ends with a visit to the police. Overwhelmed with the stress of nursing her sick daughter, Harriet, and with her boss’ strenuous demands, Frida left Harriet alone for two hours while she got herself a coffee and stopped by the office. A neighbor of hers called Child Protective Services. Frida’s ex, Gust, and his current girlfriend Susanna take care of Harriet until Frida’s trial. In the weeks leading up to the trial, Frida’s home is monitored. She is permitted infrequent visits to Harriet, accompanied by a social worker. Frida strikes up an affair with Will, a friend of Gust’s, out of loneliness.

The judge decides to sentence Frida to a one-year rehabilitation program for bad mothers. The very next day, Frida and a bus load of other mothers are driven to the campus that is to be their home for the next year. The school’s motto is: “I am a bad mother, but I am learning to be good” (76). Frida makes friends with another mom named Lucretia. Lucretia’s enemy is Linda, who locked her children in a hole.

The mothers soon start class in which they are taught basic mothering skills. They are each assigned a robot daughter which the school calls dolls. Frida names her doll Emmanuelle. The mothers are obligated to attend counseling sessions and to eat their meals together. They may call home on Sundays, permitting that their behavior is satisfactory.

Frida bonds with the other mothers and learns that two of them, Meryl and Beth, were molested as children. Lucretia’s doll dies one day while they are all outside. Afterwards, Linda picks a fight with her. Lucretia is expelled for pushing Linda. The mothers are horrified by this injustice but vow to do well in the school in order to avenge Lucretia.

Meanwhile, back home, Harriet starts forgetting Frida. She refers to Susanna as Mommy. Frida is furious about this, and about the fact that Susanna and Gust put Harriet on a carb-free diet. Her rage lands her in a talk circle, in which the mothers are forced to discuss their feelings.

The mothers grow more and more desperate as the winter months go by. Some debate running away. Frida debates killing herself. Meryl starts sleeping with one of the guards, making the other moms jealous. Some of the moms start sleeping with each other.

Harriet’s second birthday passes. Frida realizes she is closer to Emmanuelle than she is to her real daughter. A mother named Margaret kills herself.

The fathers from the other school join the mothers in the summer for training. Frida befriends a dad named Tucker, who constantly flirts with her. She is flattered by his attention but refuses to sleep with him, fearing it might affect the judge’s decision to give her Harriet back.

Frida learns over FaceTime that Susanna is pregnant. She is horribly jealous and starts fantasizing about marrying Tucker. The school hosts a dance for the parents. During the dance, Meryl, another mother, and one of the fathers manage to escape.

The school succeeds in recapturing Meryl, whom they lock in a basement for a few days. While doing parenting drills on the playground, Frida accidentally gets knocked over by Beth. Tucker rushes to help her up. Frida realizes she loves him.

As their final test, the mothers receive brain scans as they watch a video montage of their time at the school. Frida’s scan reveals her attraction for Tucker. The counselor tells Frida she has a “fair to poor” chance of getting Harriet back (263). The other mothers receive similar results, making them scream and cry.

The judge decides against Frida’s favor. She is allowed one final visit with Harriet. Once Harriet turns 18, she may decide to seek out her mother. Frida remains composed during the final visit, but Harriet is devastated. She cries and begs her mother not to leave her.

Frida moves in with Will. One night, while Susanna and Gust are at the hospital with their sick baby, Will is put in charge of babysitting Harriet. Frida begs him to let her spend an hour alone with Harriet. During that hour, Frida succeeds in kidnapping their daughter. Harriet wakes up while they are driving on the highway. She is confused at first but is soon glad to be with her mother. Frida knows they do not have much time left together. She tucks in a photo of herself and Emmanuelle into Harriet’s jacket, hoping Gust and Susanna will find the photo and make inquiries about the school.